Flight Safety Foundation

CFIT Checklist
Evaluate the Risk and Take Action
Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) designed this controlled-flight-into-terrain (CFIT) risk-assessment safety tool
as part of its international program to reduce CFIT accidents, which present the greatest risks to aircraft, crews
and passengers. The FSF CFIT Checklist is likely to undergo further developments, but the Foundation believes
that the checklist is sufficiently developed to warrant distribution to the worldwide aviation community.
Use the checklist to evaluate specific flight operations and to enhance pilot awareness of the CFIT risk. The
checklist is divided into three parts. In each part, numerical values are assigned to a variety of factors that the
pilot/operator will use to score his/her own situation and to calculate a numerical total.
In Part I: CFIT Risk Assessment, the level of CFIT risk is calculated for each flight, sector or leg. In Part II:
CFIT Risk-reduction Factors, Company Culture, Flight Standards, Hazard Awareness and Training, and Aircraft
Equipment are factors, which are calculated in separate sections. In Part III: Your CFIT Risk, the totals of the
four sections in Part II are combined into a single value (a positive number) and compared with the total (a
negative number) in Part I: CFIT Risk Assessment to determine your CFIT Risk Score. To score the checklist,
use a nonpermanent marker (do not use a ballpoint pen or pencil) and erase with a soft cloth.

Part I: CFIT Risk Assessment

Section 1 – Destination CFIT Risk Factors Value Score
Airport and Approach Control Capabilities:
ATC approach radar with MSAWS .................................................................................... 0 ______
ATC minimum radar vectoring charts ................................................................................ 0 ______
ATC radar only.................................................................................................................... -10 ______
ATC radar coverage limited by terrain masking ................................................................. -15 ______
No radar coverage available (out of service/not installed) ................................................. -30 ______
No ATC service ................................................................................................................... -30 ______
Expected Approach:
Airport located in or near mountainous terrain .................................................................. -20 ______
ILS ...................................................................................................................................... 0 ______
VOR/DME .......................................................................................................................... -15 ______
Nonprecision approach with the approach slope from the FAF to
the airport TD shallower than 2 3/4 degrees .................................................................. -20 ______
NDB .................................................................................................................................... -30 ______
Visual night “black-hole” approach .................................................................................... -30 ______
Runway Lighting:
Complete approach lighting system ................................................................................... 0 ______
Limited lighting system ...................................................................................................... -30 ______
Controller/Pilot Language Skills:
Controllers and pilots speak different primary languages .................................................. -20 ______
Controllers’ spoken English or ICAO phraseology poor .................................................... -20 ______
Pilots’ spoken English poor ................................................................................................ -20 ______
Departure:
No published departure procedure ...................................................................................... -10 ______

Destination CFIT Risk Factors Total (−) _____

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Section 2 – Risk Multiplier
Value Score
Your Company’s Type of Operation (select only one value):
Scheduled ............................................................................................................................ 1.0 ______
Nonscheduled ...................................................................................................................... 1.2 ______
Corporate............................................................................................................................. 1.3 ______
Charter ................................................................................................................................ 1.5 ______
Business owner/pilot ........................................................................................................... 2.0 ______
Regional .............................................................................................................................. 2.0 ______
Freight ................................................................................................................................ 2.5 ______
Domestic ............................................................................................................................. 1.0 ______
International ........................................................................................................................ 3.0 ______
Departure/Arrival Airport (select single highest applicable value):
Australia/New Zealand ....................................................................................................... 1.0 ______
United States/Canada .......................................................................................................... 1.0 ______
Western Europe ................................................................................................................... 1.3 ______
Middle East ......................................................................................................................... 1.1 ______
Southeast Asia ..................................................................................................................... 3.0 ______
Euro-Asia (Eastern Europe and Commonwealth of Independent States) .......................... 3.0 ______
South America/Caribbean ................................................................................................... 5.0 ______
Africa .................................................................................................................................. 8.0 ______
Weather/Night Conditions (select only one value):
Night — no moon ............................................................................................................... 2.0 ______
IMC ..................................................................................................................................... 3.0 ______
Night and IMC .................................................................................................................... 5.0 ______
Crew (select only one value):
Single-pilot flight crew ....................................................................................................... 1.5 ______
Flight crew duty day at maximum and ending with a night nonprecision approach ......... 1.2 ______
Flight crew crosses five or more time zones ....................................................................... 1.2 ______
Third day of multiple time-zone crossings ......................................................................... 1.2 ______
Add Multiplier Values to Calculate Risk Multiplier Total ______
Destination CFIT Risk Factors Total × Risk Multiplier Total = CFIT Risk Factors Total (−) _____

Part II: CFIT Risk-reduction Factors

Section 1 – Company Culture
Value Score
Corporate/company management:
Places safety before schedule .............................................................................................. 20 ______
CEO signs off on flight operations manual ......................................................................... 20 ______
Maintains a centralized safety function ............................................................................... 20 ______
Fosters reporting of all CFIT incidents without threat of discipline ................................... 20 ______
Fosters communication of hazards to others ....................................................................... 15 ______
Requires standards for IFR currency and CRM training ..................................................... 15 ______
Places no negative connotation on a diversion or missed approach .................................... 20 ______
115-130 points Tops in company culture
105-115 points Good, but not the best Company Culture Total (+) ____ *
80-105 points Improvement needed
Less than 80 points High CFIT risk

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Section 2 – Flight Standards
Value Score
Specific procedures are written for:
Reviewing approach or departure procedures charts ........................................................... 10 ______
Reviewing significant terrain along intended approach or departure course ...................... 20 ______
Maximizing the use of ATC radar monitoring ..................................................................... 10 ______
Ensuring pilot(s) understand that ATC is using radar or radar coverage exists .................. 20 ______
Altitude changes .................................................................................................................. 10 ______
Ensuring checklist is complete before initiation of approach ............................................. 10 ______
Abbreviated checklist for missed approach ......................................................................... 10 ______
Briefing and observing MSA circles on approach charts as part of plate review ............... 10 ______
Checking crossing altitudes at IAF positions ...................................................................... 10 ______
Checking crossing altitudes at FAF and glideslope centering ............................................. 10 ______
Independent verification by PNF of minimum altitude during
stepdown DME (VOR/DME or LOC/DME) approach ................................................. 20 ______
Requiring approach/departure procedure charts with terrain
in color, shaded contour formats ................................................................................... 20 ______
Radio-altitude setting and light-aural (below MDA) for backup on approach ................... 10 ______
Independent charts for both pilots, with adequate lighting and holders ............................. 10 ______
Use of 500-foot altitude call and other enhanced procedures for NPA ............................... 10 ______
Ensuring a sterile (free from distraction) cockpit, especially during
IMC/night approach or departure .................................................................................. 10 ______
Crew rest, duty times and other considerations especially
for multiple-time-zone operation .................................................................................. 20 ______
Periodic third-party or independent audit of procedures ..................................................... 10 ______
Route and familiarization checks for new pilots
Domestic ........................................................................................................................ 10 ______
International .................................................................................................................. 20 ______
Airport familiarization aids, such as audiovisual aids ......................................................... 10 ______
First officer to fly night or IMC approaches and the captain to
monitor the approach ..................................................................................................... 20 ______
Jump-seat pilot (or engineer or mechanic) to help monitor terrain clearance
and the approach in IMC or night conditions ............................................................... 20 ______
Insisting that you fly the way that you train ........................................................................ 25 ______
300-335 points Tops in CFIT flight standards
270-300 points Good, but not the best Flight Standards Total (+) ____ *
200-270 points Improvement needed
Less than 200 High CFIT risk

Section 3 – Hazard Awareness and Training

Value Score
Your company reviews training with the training department or training contractor ......... 10 ______
Your company’s pilots are reviewed annually about the following:
Flight standards operating procedures .......................................................................... 20 ______
Reasons for and examples of how the procedures can detect a CFIT “trap” ................ 30 ______
Recent and past CFIT incidents/accidents .................................................................... 50 ______
Audiovisual aids to illustrate CFIT traps ...................................................................... 50 ______
Minimum altitude definitions for MORA, MOCA, MSA, MEA, etc. ......................... 15 ______
You have a trained flight safety officer who rides the jump seat occasionally ................... 25 ______
You have flight safety periodicals that describe and analyze CFIT incidents ..................... 10 ______
You have an incident/exceedance review and reporting program ....................................... 20 ______
Your organization investigates every instance in which minimum
terrain clearance has been compromised ...................................................................... 20 ______

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 You annually practice recoveries from terrain with GPWS in the simulator ...................... 40 ______
You train the way that you fly.............................................................................................. 25 ______
285-315 points Tops in CFIT training
250-285 points Good, but not the best Hazard Awareness and Training Total (+) ____ *
190-250 points Improvement needed
Less than 190 High CFIT risk

Section 4 – Aircraft Equipment

Value Score
Aircraft includes:
Radio altimeter with cockpit display of full 2,500-foot range — captain only ................. 20 ______
Radio altimeter with cockpit display of full 2,500-foot range — copilot .......................... 10 ______
First-generation GPWS ........................................................................................................ 20 ______
Second-generation GPWS or better ..................................................................................... 30 ______
GPWS with all approved modifications, data tables and service
bulletins to reduce false warnings ................................................................................. 10 ______
Navigation display and FMS ............................................................................................... 10 ______
Limited number of automated altitude callouts ................................................................... 10 ______
Radio-altitude automated callouts for nonprecision
approach (not heard on ILS approach) and procedure .................................................. 10 ______
Preselected radio altitudes to provide automated callouts that
would not be heard during normal nonprecision approach ........................................... 10 ______
Barometric altitudes and radio altitudes to give automated
“decision” or “minimums” callouts .............................................................................. 10 ______
An automated excessive “bank angle” callout..................................................................... 10 ______
Auto flight/vertical speed mode.......................................................................................... -10 ______
Auto flight/vertical speed mode with no GPWS ................................................................ -20 ______
GPS or other long-range navigation equipment to supplement
NDB-only approach ...................................................................................................... 15 ______
Terrain-navigation display ................................................................................................... 20 ______
Ground-mapping radar ......................................................................................................... 10 ______
175-195 points Excellent equipment to minimize CFIT risk
155-175 points Good, but not the best Aircraft Equipment Total (+) ____ *
115-155 points Improvement needed
Less than 115 High CFIT risk

Company Culture _________ + Flight Standards _________ + Hazard Awareness and Training _________
+ Aircraft Equipment _________ = CFIT Risk-reduction Factors Total (+) ________
* If any section in Part II scores less than “Good,” a thorough review is warranted
of that aspect of the company’s operation.

Part III: Your CFIT Risk

Part I CFIT Risk Factors Total (−) _____ + Part II CFIT Risk-reduction Factors Total (+) _____
= CFIT Risk Score (±) _____
A negative CFIT Risk Score indicates a significant threat; review the sections in Part II and
determine what changes and improvements can be made to reduce CFIT risk.
In the interest of aviation safety, this checklist may be reprinted in whole or in part, but credit must be given to Flight
Safety Foundation. To request more information or to offer comments about the FSF CFIT Checklist, contact Robert
H. Vandel, director of technical projects, Flight Safety Foundation, 601 Madison Street, Suite 300, Alexandria, VA
22314 U.S., Phone: 703-739-6700 • Fax: 703-739-6708.
FSF CFIT Checklist © 1994 Flight Safety Foundation
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